By Your Side
by Laura Schiller
Summary: Amu could not believe her own fickleness. What was she doing, holding hands with Tadase just minutes after being rejected by Ikuto? It wasn't fair for her emotions to yank her around this way and that. Contains information about the Lock and Key. Complete
1. Chapter 1

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 1

"I love you, Ikuto," said Amu. "Will you go out with me?"

There. It was out. Heart pounding, she looked up at the tall, indigo-haired teen in front of her. He gave off passion and mystery like a cloak; the dashing cat-boy who drove her insane with his dirty jokes yet always swept in out of nowhere to save her. Never giving a straight answer, always slipping out of reach. Tonight was the night; her hopes and dreams would finally be confirmed...wasn't it?

Ikuto blinked and shook his head, sending a heavy, silky strand of hai falling into his eyes. He frowned, as if he hadn't heard correctly, then gave a sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"Geez, Amu...I'm so sorry." He looked it, too; even his cat ears were flattened with chagrin. "Did I make you think...I'm sorry."

"Wha – what?" She backed away. "Are you saying - ?"

"I can't," he muttered, his tail swishing from side to side. "Look, you're really cute. You wake my cat instincts. But. _loving _someone... I'm just not up to that kind of commitment, you know? And even if I were, you're so _young_."

"But – I'm almost twelve!" Amu could have kicked herself. How childish could she get?

"And I'm almost seventeen. I'd have to wait for you for...it just won't work."

He sounded as if waiting were an unpleasant chore. Amu could feel the usual angry, indignant pounding in her brain asociated with Ikuto; only this time it was tempered with hurt.

"You – you were all over me!" she spat. "You bit me on the ear, you call me by my given name, you grab me from behind...you mean you were only playing with me? Like a cat with a mouse?"

Ikuto's lips twisted into a crooked little smile. "That's about it, yeah. It's like I said, you're cute. I can't help myself. I didn't mean for you to read anything serious into it."

Amu saw red.

"You're a good kid, Amu. But I'm just not that into dating you. I'm sorry."

He jumped onto a lamppost, then into the nearest tree and so out of sight. Amu was left alone.

The November sky was heavy with clouds; the trees in the park had all but lost their leaves, except for a few brown, brittle survivors stubbornly clinging to their branches. The fountain was dry and besides herself and Ikuto, no one was there. Amu left, crunching the gravel along the path, digging her hands into her coat pockets to keep them from freezing up. Too bad she didn't have pockets for her heart.

Ikuto. Playing the violin by moonlight. Showing up on her balcony at the dead of night. Startling her into spitting out her milk. Catching her when she fell.

_Ikuto!_

He made her off-balance; she never knew what crazy thing he'd do next. He was the one who almost spoiled her important baking project for Tadase, but brought candy for 'compensation'.

_I really thought he liked me. _Amu's eyes were burning, but she blinked the tears away. _And he does...but not in the right way. Stupid Ikuto. _

_Stupid me._

She remembered how he used to make her blush and stutter – a volatile mix of anger, shame and attraction – when he said those shady, teasing things to her and about her.

"_Don't touch me in erotic places," _meaning his ear.

"_She jumped into my arms,"_ when she'd fallen by accident.

"_If you ask sweetly, I might do it."_

"_Don't get so caught up in the moment." _Laughing at her for staring into his eyes a bit too long.

The way he said her name with a tiny smirk and purring emphasis, as if her name, along with the rest of her, belonged to him alone. At least that was how her romantic, twelve-year-old mind had interpreted it.

So wrong.

"Amu-chan?" said her Shugo Charas, trailing anxiously behind her as she made her way home.

"Don't let him get you down!" Ran squealed fiercely.

"Men aren't worth it anyway," snarled Miki, who had been laughed to scorn by Yoru herself a few moments ago.

"We're here for you, desu," said Suu, perching on Amu's shoulder and giving off a tiny spot of warmth.

Amu barely heard them through the ringing in her ears and the voices in her head, shouting back and forth. The Amu who hated Ikuto, the one who still loved him and the one who wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and forget everything were squabbling shrilly with each other, giving her a pounding headache.

Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her on the gravel. She picked up speed. If it was Ikuto, she wasn't about to make it easy for him. It wasn't, it could only be some creep stalking her; especially since it was getting dark. She heard him call out, but she didn't recognize the voice or what it was saying until about the third try.

"Hinamori-san!"

She stopped and whirled around.

"Tadase-kun?"

The boy in the light brown coat ran up to her, smiling, pink-cheeked from the cold; as soon as he saw the look on her face he stopped short. His red eyes widened with concern.

"My God, Hinamori-san! What's the matter? Is there anything I can - "

That was too much for her; the tears just overflowed. For a while, she couldn't say a word; Tadase quietly gave her his white handkerchief, put his arm around her shoulders and led her to a park bench, where she sat down and cried until she couldn't cry any more.


	2. Chapter 2

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 2

As soon as she could talk again, Amu explained – in choppy, fragmented phrases which Tadase had to listen to very hard to understand. He gathered that she had been in love with Ikuto and told him so, and that he had rejected her only a few minutes ago.

"_Not up to that kind of commitment_," she quoted, looking as haughty and disdainful as anyone can with red eyes and a congested nose.

The situation was awkward. On the one hand, of course he was sorry for her; the pain and anger in her voice and face were so contagious that he felt sick himself. No one, least of all Amu, should ever have to go through this.

If he could just march up to Ikuto and challenge him to a duel, like in the old European novels...but what good would that do? It wouldn't change the cat's mind. And in all honesty, Tadase didn't want Ikuto's mind changed about Amu.

_If he's not interested in her,_ said a sly little voice at the back of his head, _maybe I have a chance..._

But in the meantime, the most urgent task at hand was comforting Amu. He blessed his grandmother, who used to frequently remind him to always carry a handkerchief just in case. The white monogrammed one she had made for him was coming in very handy right now.

But what on Earth was he supposed to say? _'He's a jerk anyway'_? _'Be glad you escaped being his girlfriend'_? _'Take me instead'_? Very bad ideas.

"Um...so...you know I – all the Guardians will be there for you. Anything you need...anytime you just want to talk...just tell us."

Amu's shaky little smile as she brushed her wet fringe out of her eyes warmed him right down to his toes. It looked like he'd hit on the right thing to say after all.

"You're a good friend, Tadase-kun."

A friend. Hadn't he once been more than that to her? He remembered it so clearly, almost two years ago now. A perky, pink-haired girl popping up in the auditorium and calling out, for everyone to hear: _I love you, my prince! _If he'd just accepted her then and there...but how could he have, knowing nothing about her except her name?

Girls at their age were like that, like Saaya or Misaki: they bounced from one crush to the other, with feelings that sparkled like fireworks and were over just as soon. Whatever feelings she had for him must have faded a long time ago. Even if, ocasionally, she was still a bit nervous around him...but that had to be his imagination.

"I...I just don't know," said Amu. "How I'm supposed to go on...I mean, I know it sounds stupid and melodramatic, but – he's such a big part of my life. There's gonna be this huge black _hole _where he used to be. A life totally without him? It frightens me."

Tadase could almost see the hole gaping at her feet, down where she was looking at her black combat boots as if she couldn't remember what they were. As if to prevent her from falling in, he put an arm around her shoulders. A friendly gesture; harmless.

She leaned into his touch for a few seconds, then flinched away, looking as if she'd just had an electric shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "I didn't mean to – "

"No, no, it's not you, it's just..."

They stared at each other, frozen in stiff, awkward, matching poses of embarrassment.

"Okay," said Tadase, just to break the silence. "Shouldn't we be getting home?"

They looked around; nighttime had crept up on them so softly that they hadn't noticed. Now the sky was a soft dark purple, with a smil crescent moon just rising above the treetops. Lanterns had lit up automatically, golden globes shining like miniature suns onto Amu's and Tadase's faces.

"Look here," Tadase pointed out. "We've each got two shadows."

It was true; if they stood within the light spheres of two lamps at once, they each had two long, sharply defined shadows, one in front and one behind them.

Usually Amu would have folded her arms and feigned indifference, but now that he'd seen her at her worst, all her defenses were down.

"That's kinda cool," she said quietly, looking down and turning around. "Do you think they do that so our shadows don't always have to be alone?"

He could feel without asking that she was being real – no transformations, no chara-changes, no public façade, just Amu. And she had never been so amazing as she was now, tired and tear-stained, with a crumpled uniform and the lamplight shining on her face. A leftover tear on her eyelashes caught the light like a tiny diamond; his hand itched to wipe it away, but he didn't want to startle her again.

"Maybe," said Tadase. "Even shadows deserve company, after all."

"Especially shadows."

Tadase held out his hand; she blinked up at him in astonishment, then slowly put her own cold little hand in his. It was meant for a platonic gesture; after all, they'd done it before.

But still, Tadase was beyond happy. She didn't pull away until they'd reached her home.


	3. Chapter 3

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 3

Amu's mind was in turmoil. She couldn't believe her own fickleness – what on Earth was she doing, holding hands with Tadase minutes after getting her heart broken by Ikuto? Did other girls ever feel this way? It was just not fair for her emotions to yank her around this way and that. And it was definitely not fair for Tadase to be so kind and understanding and have such a warm, comforting hold on her hand, setting her heart pounding in complete opposition to her common sense.

_You, Hinamori Amu, are on the rebound, _she reminded herself. _Your emotional state is highly unstable and not to be trusted._

It reminded her awfully of earlier days. Going to the aquarium with Tadase, exclaiming over the wonderful and strange marine life and having secret raptures because it was her first 'date'. Walking together in the snow during their ski resort vacation. Shopping together. He had bought her a heart-shaped hairclip which she still treasured in spite of herself...because, after all, he only chose it because it made her look like one of her transformed selves, Amulet Heart.

That hurt. Why did he only love her as Amulet Heart? Sure, it was her favorite and most useful transformation – but weren't her other personas lovable too?

But then...she remembered. _"There are two things I want to tell you, Hinamori-san._" What was the second thing?

"Hinamori-san?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like me to tell you about the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key?"

That was unexpected.

"Oh yes, please tell us!" exclaimed her Charas, swarming around Tadase like eager children. "We want to know!"

"Quiet, commoners!" thundered Kiseki (as well as anyone could thunder with such a tiny voice). Tadase threw his impertinent Chara a warming glare; Kiseki's shoulders slumped as he fiddled nervously with his ermine cloak. "I mean, please be quiet."

"You know Amakawa-san, the planetarium's caretaker, is the Founding King?" Tadase began. "Well, he has other powers besides reading the future with his cards. He was the one who made the Lock and Key to combine the powers of the two strongest members of the Guardian team: the Key for himself and the Lock for Hotori Mizue, the first Joker – my mother. However, when the Lock and Key were brought together, nothing happened, because the connection only works if there is a strong bond of love between the holders."

Amu vividly remembered the time when Ikuto had tried to insert the Key into the Lock, coming so close to her face that she thought he would kiss her. Something about that had set off alarm bells in her head and she had backed away. Why, though? If she truly loved Ikuto, why hadn't she just let it happen?

Tadase continued. "Mother was in love with Amakawa-san's brother Yui, Jack's Chair, and he with her. When Amakawa-san gave the Key to Father, everybody found out because the Royal Garden flooded with light. That was when Father and Mother performed the first of many joint transformations as the Golden Pair. They could draw on each other's attacks, read each other's thoughts, and launch a joint attack that was much more powerful than anything a single Guardian could do. They could purify a thousand X eggs at once. They beat back the Easter Company for twenty years, went to the same high school and university, married and had me. When I entered Seiyo Elementary, they passed the Lock and Key on to me. But then...came Ikuto."

Tadase was frowning now and walking just a little faster. He kept glancing over at Amu to make sure his narrative was not upsetting her. "His parents were old friends of ours and he used to babysit me. When his father went missing and his mother became ill, my parents decided to let him and Utau-san stay with us. It was," he admitted, sounding embarrassed, "one of the happiest times of my life."

Amu wondered what the other happy times were, but said nothing.

"I don't know why he stole the Lock and Key, but he did. Maybe it was an order from his new stepfather, the director of Easter, maybe it was his own idea. It made me so angry...it was like a constant headache, it made me sick." He squeezed Amu's hand in an almost painful grip. "Amakawa-san sympathized with Ikuto and took him in for a few days. I was only eight, I couldn't understand the situation...it just felt like they had both betrayed me. That's when I started calling my uncle 'Amakawa-san', and even when I stopped being mad, I was too shy to go back to saying 'Uncle Tsukasa'."

_Silly Tadase-kun, _she thought. _Always afraid to show what he really feels. Just like me, except I turn cool-and-spicy instead of polite._

Then the rest of the story fell into place and she gasped, her eyes opening wide. "So, hang on. Does that mean _you're_ the rightful owner of the Dumpty Key?"

Tadase, just as aware of the implications as she was, gave a jerky little nod.

_Maybe that's why..._

"Pardon?" said Tadase. Amu blushed, realizing she had said the word out loud.

"Oh, um, it's just...Ikuto tried to insert the Key once."

"Oh, did he? What happened?" A hint of steel was in Tadase's usually soft voice. _What's with that? He's not actually jealous, is he? Not that there's any reason, _thought Amu, with a brief stab of pain, remembering Ikuto's marble face and casual 'sorry'.

"He came so close to me. I thought he was going to ... to kiss me." Amu could feel the heat coming off her cheeks at the memory – was it attraction, shame, or a mixture of both? Whatever it was, she felt very uncomfortable in her skin.

"But then...suddenly I was scared. He was just _too_ close. He had this weird intense look on his face that made me uncomfortable. So I ran away."

"That thieving, lowlife, scummy feline..." Tadase muttered, adding a string of insults she would never have guessed were in his vocabulary.

"Tadase-kun, calm down!" she exclaimed – not afraid, but certainly very astonished. Thoughts of his rival seemed to bring out her prince's fierce side. Later she would admit to herself that she rather liked it.

"Such vulgar language," added Kiseki, "Is most unfitting for a king, especially in front of a lady."

"You're right, Kiseki." Tadase shrank visibly with embarrassment, even dropping into a quick bow in front of Amu. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, shush, you guys. I'm not a lady." Amu's inner fangirl was squealing with excitement; even on the outside, she couldn't help smiling and blushing a little more. And since when did Kiseki, who saw everyone except his human as 'commoners', consider her a lady?

"How romantic, desu," said Suu, clasping her hands.

"Amu-chan and Tadase, sitting in a tree..." Ran sang, flying circles around them both.

Miki quietly began on a sketch: Amu and Tadase walking hand in hand under the golden streetlamps.

"Once we reach home, you girls are gonna get it good," Amu threatened.

Tadase laughed. "You're very scary, Hinamori-san."

"That's me, the cool-and-spicy scourge of Seiyo Elementary!" she declared with extra drama.

A moment later, she could hardly believe herself. Had she just made a joke? What happened to being depressed about Ikuto? It was as if being with Tadase had just chased all her pain away. That wasn't right. Having one's heart broken was supposed to be harder than this, wasn't it? Did she love Ikuto at all or was it merely fascination with the mood swings of a mysterious older boy?

Suddenly she realized that they were only a few steps away from her home. The half-hour walk had flown by without her even noticing. Just like it did with Ikuto, time seemed to behave in odd ways when Tadase was around: sometimes slowing down into an almost endless moment, sometimes rushing by like the Bullet Train.

The lights were on in the living room; she could faintly see a small pink figure with two taller beige-and-brown silhouettes fluttering around it: her parents taking pictures of Ami again.

"Looks like this is it," she said, angry with herself because she sounded – and felt – a bit too regretful.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, sure."

"And, Hinamori-san...may I tell the others? About what Ikuto..."

"Don't!" she exclaimed, jumping back. "I don't want Yaya fussing over me or anyone saying nasty things about Ikuto."

"You're protecting _him?_"

"What? He can't help the way he feels any more than I can."

Tadase shook his head lightly, his face a mixture of annoyance, amusement and respect.

"Hinamori-san, you are truly one of a kind."

They said their goodbyes and Amu went inside, waving once across the garden fence. Tadase smiled and waved back.

"Tadase-chama!" A small blur of pink and brown hurtled past, jumping right into Tadase's arms.

"Hello there, Ami-chan," said Tadase, looking taken aback at first, then relaxed. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"Great! I'm in kindergarten now and I got a gold star from the teacher!"

"Wow!" Tadase looked as impressed as Amu felt – not because of the gold star, whose reception Ami had described so often and minutely that Amu was sick of them, but because a boy who was so caring towards small children was a rare sight.

"Do your funny King act!" Ami commanded.

"What's the magic word?" Amu didn't want Tadase to think her family had no manners.

"Pleeease?" Ami's shining amber eyes, so like her older sister's, were irresistible.

Tadase gently set Ami on her feet and beckoned to Kiseki, who huffed at the idea of being used as a child's entertainment and would not budge.

Amu knew what to do.

"Tadase-kun," she said, fighting to keep a straight face, "You're a real _prince_."

Tadase snapped. His eyes flashed madly; he puffed himself up, conjuring flying flags and hissing flames behind him. "How dare you call me a mere prince!" he boomed. "I am a KING! Bow down to my splendor immediately!"

Ami's delighted giggles and applause shook him out of it. "You're funny, Tadase-chama," she said. "I like you."

Ami never worried about what anyone thought of her; she still believed the whole world loved her, and as a result, behaved so endearingly she made it true. Sometimes Amu wanted to be five again.

"This is ridiculous," Tadase muttered to Kiseki. "One of these days I'll make you see reason. As for you, Ami-chan," he added more loudly, "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. Your parents must be wondering what's keeping you so long."

"Come back soon, okay?" Ami pleaded, squeezing him around the waist.

"Very soon. If I may, Hinamori-san?" with a questioning gaze.

"Sure!" she said cheerfully. "See you, Tadase-kun!"

"Bye-bye, Tadase-chama!"

"Goodbye!"

Once the girls went in, they found their father standing in the hallway, hands on hips, looking so outraged that he bore a certain resemblance to Tadase's King act.

"Girls! _Who was that boy you were talking to?!_"

"Onee-chan's boyfriend," said Ami serenely.

Mr. Hinamori set up a melodramatic wail of protest, drowning out all of Amu's protestations that it was just the student council president, her friend and leader, and that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, between them.

Nobody was fooled, not even the five-year-old. As Ami wandered over to her karaoke machine to switch on Utau's _Heartful Song, _she remarked with precocious insight: "If he's not her boyfriend now, he will be soon."


	4. Chapter 4

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 4

Several months passed; Am's life went on in its usual pattern (balancing schoolwork, Guardian duties, cleaning up X-Egg-induced disasters and, if she was lucky, having a little bit of free time) with one notable exception. Ikuto was nowhere to be found.

A broken heart, she found, was a lot like a headache: you think it's almost gone, but suddenly it starts throbbing and pulsing just as painfully as before. She never went near certain areas of the city park anymore, for fear of seeing Ikuto there. Any sight or mention of cats, violins, cool older boys or the color indigo was like an X Egg flying at her; however, to her astonishment and pride, Ran, Miki and Suu escaped the whole ordeal unscathed. In fact, it was a little annoying how cheerful they were.

"You know what?" said Miki, sitting cross-legged on Amu's desk and looking thoughtfully down at a piece of paper she held. "I think Kiseki is cooler than Yoru after all."

"You just think that because Yoru laughed at you," said Ran, bluntly as ever.

"Keep your voices down, please," whispered Suu. "Amu-chan's asleep!"

So she was, tangled up in a heap of pink blankets, looking very cute in her yellow pyjamas and making the Charas feel protective as she lay there.

"What's that?" Ran inquired, floating behind Miki to look over her shoulder. Once she saw what was on the piece of paper, she had to hold her pom-poms over her face to stifle a burst of giggles. "You still have that thing? No way!"

It was an autographed picture of Kiseki which he had once offered as a prize for a Shugo Chara Track-and-Field Competition. Ran, the winner, had laughed along with everybody else _(Who would want this anyway?)_ – only to be stunned into silence by a stiff, blushing Miki, who'd snatched the picture and stowed it carefully it in her shoulder bag.

"You've treasured it as a memento for so long...how sweet!" crooned Suu, privately wondering just how many eggs were needed for a three-tiered wedding cake.

"But he's such a pompous idiot! His stupid chara-changes - " Ran exploded, in such a shrill little voice that Amu's eyelids fluttered and she turned to the side. The Charas waited anxiously for their mistress to scold them for making so much noise, but as Amu made no sound, they realized she was still asleep.

"We're all idiots sometimes," said Miki, folding up the picture to slide it back into her bag. "Didn't I once like three boys at the same time? And who was it who chara-changed Amu-chan to make her squeal out a love confession in front of the entire school, hmm? Or how about you, Suu, and your whipped cream avalanche?"

"Leave Suu out of this, desu," Suu pleaded.

Ran turned scarlet. "I only did that for her own good!"

"I know. So you take care of Amu-chan in your way and let Kiseki take care of his partner in his way. Besides, he's only this loud because of Tadase-kun's shyness in the first place. When they get older, they'll balance out, like a scale."

The other two listened, impressed (and in Suu's case, touched); they hadn't realized that Miki was so observant when it came to Kiseki.

"Kiseki may be pompous, but because he's a king, he considers it his duty to look after all of us. We can laugh at him, but he's the one who keeps us organized and focused – without him making plans and shouting at us, we'd just be drifting around, not helping with the Embryo search or anything. Just bored. He has the drive that keeps us going, and that's what I like about him," she concluded gruffly, turning pink again

"You're right, desu," said the agreeable Suu. "He _is_ cooler than Yoru. Yoru stole Suu's shopping bag last Christmas and she got lost trying to get it back." The little maid's sweet voice carried a resentful edge quite unusual for her, mixed with fear at the memory of that dark night. "If the nice doggie hadn't helped, Suu might never have gotten home again! He did it just for fun because I'm the weakest, desu!"

Ran and Miki flew to comfort her; they had no idea how much that casual prank of Yoru's had hurt her. "I didn't say anything," she explained, "Because I didn't want to speak badly about the boy Miki likes. It would hurt her feelings."

"Suu, honey, don't worry," said Miki with a hug. "My feelings are quite a bit tougher than that. And don't you ever let anyone tell you your kindness is weak. Without your powers, how could we ever have saved Nikaido-sensei?"

"Thank you, desu," said Suu, wiping away a tear. "Suu loves you both. Now, why don't we all get some sleep, desu? Suu is tired."

She yawned and cuddled up inside her egg; the others followed suit. Three quiet goodnights were the last sounds heard in the room...and a rustle of paper as Miki held Kiseki's picture in her arms.


	5. Chapter 5

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 5

"So..." began Amu, glancing around at the light yellow walls of Café Sachiko and at the nervous-looking Tadase opposite her. "What happened to the others again?"

"Yuiki-san has a dentist's appointment, Fujisaki-san a dance recital, and Mashiro-san is grounded because her father found the gag manga collection under her bed."

Amu winced in sympathy; it must have been a horrible scene. Her one encounter with Rima's parents had not impressed her with a favorable opinion of them at all. But in the meantime, here she was on what was meant to be a pre-Christmas celebration among friends – completely alone with Tadase.

With a whole flock of butterflies in her stomach, truth be told.

It was December twentieth and the little café was fully decked out for Christmas. A row of golden lights ran along the cake counter, scarlet poinsettias in clay pots stood in the corners of the room, the stereo was playing a rather awful Japanese translation of _Jingle Bells_, and the manager, Sachiko herself, wore a fuzzy Santa hat over her glossy purple ponytail and a bright red dress underneath her apron.

"Amu-chan!" she exclaimed, hurrying over from across the room. "What brings you here? Ooh, and who might this young gentleman be? You're starting your romantic career early, aren't you, Amu-chan?"

"Whatever," Amu muttered in disgust, trying to pretend her face wasn't glowing like a furnace. "Sachiko-san, this is Hotori Tadase. A friend from school. Tadase-kun, this is Morita Sachiko – "

"The stressed-out manager of this place," interrupted Sachiko.

"And my mom's friend."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Tadase, inclining his head in Sachiko's direction.

The older woman melted. "Likewise, I'm sure. Now, what can I get you two? The usual, Amu-chan?"

Amu had a moment of worry. 'The usual' was a thick, scrumptious calorie bomb of a chocolate cheesecake; the last thing she wanted was for Tadase to think of her as a greedy pig. She looked down at her Shugo Chara case in her lap – and the purposeful glint in Ran's eye decided it.

"Yeah, sure. Chocolate cheesecake and black tea with milk, please," said Amu. Better to say it herself than under a forced chara-change.

"And for you, young man?"

Tadase, after running his eyes down the menu for a few moments, settled on green tea and a custard tart. Sachiko jotted the order down on a pink plastic clipboard.

"Mistletoe's over there," she said, pointing to the back corner of the room with a Cheshire-cat smirk. "In case you two need an excuse."

"Sa-chi-ko-san..." Amu's tone of voice was almost a snarl as Tadase hid a blush and a smile behind his menu. Sachiko, either because of Amu's warning tone or the crowd of waiting customers, scampered off.

"Just ignore her," said Amu. "Her pastries will make up for it."

"She does seem a bit...eccentric...but also a very kind person."

_Tadase-kun the optimist_. Amu, who had been going stiff with nerves and embarrassment, relaxed again.

"She is. She used to babysit me, you know. And then when Ami was born, she gave me pointers on how to handle little kids. She tried to bake cookies with me once, but since Suu wasn't around yet, it was a complete mess."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. She was reading me a story and the next thing we knew, there was this scorching smell, then the smoke detector started beeping, Ami woke up and screamed, I got scared and screamed too – poor Sachiko-san. The cookies were burned, of course."

Tadase laughed out loud. Amu, suddenly realizing how long and freely she had been talking, was surprised at herself.

"Is that where Suu comes from?" asked Tadase.

"Huh. Maybe. I've never thought of that before. Suu, what do you think?"

Suu was just about to answer when they were interrupted by Sachiko, balancing a white oval tray on the palm of each hand.

"Ta-daa! Here are your orders!"

_Is it just me,_ thought Amu, _or is there something off about her smile? _Looking at Sachiko closely, Amu noticed that she looked rather pale, and there were shadows around her wide purple eyes as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep.

"The girls and I baked them with extra-special love and attention, so enjoy!" she chirped, just as she did every time. Wasn't her voice a little too loud?

And looking down at the trays, Amu noticed something else.

"Um, Sachiko-san? We asked for a chocolate cheesecake and a custard tart." The pastries in front of them were a strawberry cheesecake and a lemon tart.

"Omigosh!" squealed Sachiko. "I'm so sorry! Clumsy me! Won't happen again!" Amu could almost see a dust cloud behind her as she snatched up the trays, scuttled back into the kitchen and came back with the correct orders. Tea and coffee slopped over the cups as Sachiko set them down; she bowed three times, making her Santa hat bounce and stuttering more apologies. It took awhile to convince her that Amu and Tadase weren't bothered at all.

"Is she always like that?" asked Tadase once Sachiko had gone to fill out another order.

"She doesn't usually do the waitressing," Amu replied. "It's just really busy today."

Tadase picked up a forkful of custard tart, took a bite, and closed his eyes in visible delight. Amu made a mental note to ask Sachiko for the recipe.

"I'm glad you're not one of those girls who live on carrot sticks," said Tadase, eyeing Amu's substantial piece of cake. "Can I try some of that?"

"Sure, if I can have some of yours." She reached over to his plate with her fork; he did the same. Their arms touched; a spark coursed through her and she thought that Sachiko's cakes had never tasted so delicious.

"What do you mean about my diet?" _Does he think I'm fat?_

"I mean that Hinamori-san is pretty enough not to need a diet and smart enough to realize it." He smiled, turning the plain words into one of the most beautiful compliments Amu had ever received.

She almost choked on her next bite of cake, but recovered just in time. "Oh. Um. Thanks. I guess you're not a self-denying kind of guy either, eh?"

"No. Growing boys need energy, after all."

True; now that he mentioned it, he _was_ taller. He topped her by several inches now, where last year they had been the same height.

"Hold on – before I forget, I have something for you." Tadase reached into his coat pocket.

Amu blinked. "For...me?"

"I was going to give it to you in private, but since the others aren't there...anyway..." He brought out a small, irregularly shaped package wrapped in silver paper and held together with Scotch tape. "I wrapped it myself, that's why it looks so weird," he added, by way of apology.

Amu suppressed a giggle. It seemed that even Tadase, with all his polish, couldn't wrap a gift properly.

"Merry Christmas, Hinamori-san," he said, handing it to her across the table without quite meeting her eyes.

"Can I unwrap it now?" He nodded; she carefully peeled away the Scotch tape.

The package fell open to reveal three hairclips: a white diamond-shaped one with a glittering yellow stone in the middle, a big green clover and a black-and-purple spade. It was the oddest assortment of hair ornaments she had ever seen, in different sizes and colors that clashed.

It was a sight to make her eyes water.

"Tadase-kun...! Did you actually look in all the stores until you found things to match all my transformations?"

"Well, yes." Tadase cleared his throat, looking down at the unfinished cake on his plate. "It's because...remember that heart-shaped hairclip I gave you?"

Remember? She kept it in her pink jewel box and never wore it for fear of losing it.

"I...I wanted to show you...that Amulet Heart isn't the only wonderful part of you."

In spite of herself, Amu found herself getting teary.

"I love Amulet Spade's creativity... Amulet Clover's kindness and warmth...Amulet Diamond's wisdom. But the one I love most of all is...Hinamori Amu. Just you, with all that you are."

Tadase's voice was very low, so as not to be heard by the other customers; his eyes glittered like garnets. She found herself leaning forward, barely remembering to breathe, trying to catch every word from his lips.

Suddenly Tadase's eyes narrowed; his hands curled into fists as he aimed a furious glare at something or someone over Amu's shoulder. Just before she could turn around, a pair of long, black-clad arms snaked around her neck and a terribly familiar, purring voice sounded just next to her ear.

"Well, well. Isn't this cozy. Glad to see you're getting over me so quickly..._Amu_."


	6. Chapter 6

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 6

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto!" said Tadase and Kiseki, both at once and in exactly the same tone of outrage.

"Yo!" said Yoru, waving casually from his perch on Ikuto's shoulder.

"That's my name, kiddy king," Ikuto drawled. "Don't wear it out."

Amu, who had been frozen with shock and fighting to get her raging emotions under control, grabbed Ikuto's arms and pushed him off. Jumping up from her chair, she whirled around to look him in the face. She was so angry – and other things besides – that her eyes should have singed his perfect indigo hair, but it remained as glossy as ever.

"What – are – you – doing here?" she said, making every effort not to shout, because the other customers around them were already gawking.

"Feisty as ever, I see." Ikuto smirked. "Those perfect manners of Tadase's haven't rubbed off on you yet?"

"Answer her question," said Tadase, in a voice that should have frozen the tea in his cup.

"I came to see my favorite toy, of course," said Ikuto – and before Amu realized what was happening, she found Ikuto lounging on the chair opposite Tadase and herself trapped in his lap.

She'd forgotten just how warm he was. Or how good his aftershave smelled. It made it very hard to think clearly and get up the proper amount of outrage...after all, wasn't this what she had been dreaming about? Her head spun; what should she do?

Tadase's voice shook her out of it. He was chara-changed (_In front of all those people? What's Kiseki thinking?_) and pointing his scepter at Ikuto. "Unhand our consort," he ordered, "At once!"

Aftershave? Of course – Ikuto was certainly old enough.

_And I'm a minor! He could get arrested!_

_And did Tadase just call me his consort? _It sounded good, actually. Much better than being someone's 'favorite toy'.

"Get over yourself," said Ikuto. "She hasn't answered you yet."

Tadase blushed scarlet and lowered his scepter, but then raised it again. "Never mind that! Just let her go already!"

"Oh, but she doesn't want me to. She _loves_ me...right, Amu? I haven't forgotten."

It all came back to her in a flash. A cold October afternoon. Rattling leaves. _'Gosh, Amu...I'm sorry... I'm just not up to that kind of commitment'_. A fit of tears. A white handkerchief shining in the twilight.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Amu struggled to free herself, but he only held her tighter. "_You _said you didn't want a relationship!"

"A relationship, no. But I've got nothing against having a girl wait for me, just in case. A kiss and a cuddle now and then, when I feel like it."

"And when you get tired of me, you'll leave?"

"Yup. You know how it is; I live by the turn of my mood and the swing of my tail. You can't pin a cat down."

"You – " Tadase called Ikuto a name that startled Amu once more.

"My, my, kiddy king. Don't let your poor Granny hear that, or she'll wash out your mouth with soap and water – well, if she still remembers how to turn a tap."

Being distracted, Ikuto loosened his hold on Amu. She took the chance.

"_Hop, step, jump - _" And with superhuman flexibility, she wiggled out of Ikuto's arms like a lizard. Still chara-changed, she walked over and stood next to Tadase.

"I can't believe you!" The words flew out of her mouth all by themselves, with all of Ran's bluntness and two months' worth of her own suppressed heartache. "I've cried like a baby, I've lost sleep at night - I almost had my Charas turn X, all because of _you_! And now you come waltzing in here thinking I'll be happy to be your 'just in case' girl? The answer is NO!"

Ikuto's mouth hung open. No girl had ever spoken to him like that before.

"I want to have a real relationship – to love, respect, and stand by each other no matter what. And I – " Her voice slowed and softened as she glanced to the side. A pair of garnet-red eyes met hers. "I want it with you...Tadase."

No '–kun'. Just his name. When had anybody ever addressed him like that? Even his grandmother had said 'Tadase–san'.

"I love you, Tadase," she declared, letting every word ring out like wedding bells. "I always have. Even when I thought I liked Ikuto, you've always come first in my heart. That was what I wanted to say before," gesturing towards Ikuto, "This guy interrupted. That's all."

Silence. A silence charged with electric tension. Even the café clients had been following every word and now were waiting to see what would happen next. A young woman giggled nervously; a middle-aged man whispered to his table partner.

Ikuto looked dumbfounded and quite ordinary; all his charm and mystery seemed to have evaporated.

Tadase's eyes blazed; not knowing what to say either, all he could do was look at Amu so eloquently it made her dizzy. _I love you, _said those scarlet eyes, and so did every line and curve of his pale porcelain face.

Amu shuddered and clapped her hands over her mouth. "Ran, you idiot!" she hissed through her teeth. "Stop doing this to me!"

Ran opened her mouth to voice a shrilly indignant defense, but gasped instead as her Shugo Chara senses set up a clamor.

"Amu-chan, trouble!" she squeaked. "There's a Question Egg in the kitchen!"


	7. Chapter 7

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 7

Sachiko stared around her at the stainless steel shelves and endless cartons of eggs, milk, yoghurt, baking soda and other perishables in the walk-in refrigerator, shivering, with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as if to hold herself together. Her employees were gossiping happily about men, movies and politics in the kitchen; usually she would have been right there with them, but today she just wasn't in the mood. This cold, cheerless fridge was the only place where she could get some privacy, without the girls twittering and fussing about her.

_I'm not 'okay'_, she thought, _and I'm sick of pretending I am. What's the point of all this anyway? Running around, making stupid cakes, trying to keep this place from going bankrupt? Getting yelled at by horrid customers and getting older every year? I'm twenty-five and still not married. A Christmas Cake baker. _And she burst into tears.

Creeeaak.

The fridge door opened; Sachiko hurriedly wiped away the tears with her apron and stood up straight. It was not one of her employees, however, but a girl she'd never seen before: tall, slender, blonde and violet-eyed, her supermodel beauty just slightly marred by the haughty cast of her features and the unpleasant glitter in her eyes.

"Who – who are you?" Sachiko croaked. "What are you doing here?"

"Making your dream come true. Merry Christmas, Morita Sachiko-san."

The stranger held up a blood-red jewel on a golden chain. Sachiko's consciousness, caught in the multifaceted, darkly brilliant glitter of the stone, faded and went blank.

A plum-colored Question Egg slipped out of Sachiko's chest, swelled to enormous proportions, and developed a smirk even nastier than the strange girl's. It swallowed Sachiko in one gulp, then vanished, leaving her changed almost beyond recognition: her red dress shortened until it barely covered her bottom; red high heels on her feet; a short white chef's coat fluttering around her; her white apron turned magenta-pink with red hearts; her lavender hair piled up underneath a tall chef's hat; red oven mitts on her hands, one holding a sharp kitchen knife and the other a giant whisk. She would have looked beautiful in her cute costume if it hadn't been for the question mark, like a swirl of thick white icing, on her forehead – or the empty look in her wide purple eyes.

"_**Chara-Nari: Baker Dream!**_"

()

The door between the kitchen and eating area flew open with a bang. A fully transformed Sachiko strutted out, like a model on the catwalk, followed by three white-coated, blank-eyed women who moved like robots: Sachiko's co-workers.

"It's not in the kitchen anymore," muttered Miki.

"Girls!" Baker Dream's voice was high and piercing; Amu had the urge to cover her ears. "Can't you see our customers are hungry? Let's whip them up some extra-special sweets!"

"Yes, ma'am," said the bakers in dull, mindless unison.

What happened next was like a film in fast-forward. They darted back and forth between the kitchen and the main room, carrying huge trays with all kinds of pastries – chocolate cakes, fruit pies, sugar pies, meringues, cheesecakes, custard tarts, jam turnovers, cinnamon rolls and more, all of a sticky, cloying, toothache-inducing sweetness.

"Enjoy!" said Baker Dream, in a shrill parody of her usual warm-hearted tone. She winked and aimed her whisk at the people; a frosty glitter of magic spread all across the room.

The two waitresses who had been taking down orders – as well as all the customers except Amu, Tadase and Ikuto – immediately lost every trace of character in their faces. Identical looks of demented greed spread on the customers' faces; as the waitresses and bakers scurried this way and that with the enchanted pastries, the customers began to stuff their faces at a speed which made Amu's stomach turn just from watching them.

(Ikuto retreated into a corner, keeping very quiet and averting his eyes. Lulu was his colleague, after all, and she had to be around here watching the pandemonium she had caused. If he interfered, what would she tell their superiors?)

"They'll get sick if they keep that up," said Tadase. "Hinamori-san - transform with Suu!"

Amu nodded; a few seconds later, Amulet Clover held up her whisk – smaller than Baker Dream's, with a green ribbon – and spoke.

"Sweet pastries are a wonderful thing," she said, in a gentle voice that was still clearly audible to everyone, "But best enjoyed in moderation. _**Remake Honey!**_"

A wave of warm honey-colored light washed over the café; the enchanted cakes vanished into nothing. The released victims of the spell, blinking and confused, set down their forks; some held on to their stomachs, grimacing, as the rich heavy food lay inside them like rocks.

Baker Dream whirled to confront Amu. "Excuse me, miss," she said with false politeness, eyeing Amu's apron and whisk and evidently mistaking her for a rival baker. "I must ask you not to interfere. This is my café and I'm running it my way, so would you please – get – _out_!"

In a sharp contrast with her polite words, Baker Dream hurled the knife she was holding; it multiplied in the air, and twenty razor-sharp knives came hurtling in Amu's direction.

"_**Holy Crown!**_"

A sparkling golden shield deflected the knives. Tadase, as Platinum Royal, came to stand in front of Amu with his scepter held out.

"Call the others," he said over his shoulder. "I'll distract her. _**White Decoration!**_"

The attack, meant to immobilize Baker Dream like a fly in amber, missed as she jumped aside. Amu whipped out her cell phone to send a text message to Yaya, Rima and Nagihiko. Would they come in time? Could they come at all, busy as they were?

_? egg sachikos_, she typed with shaking hands, and was just about to add the street address when a searing blast of heat slammed right past her and made her drop the phone with fright.

Baker Dream was wielding a flamethrower – the sort that chefs use to caramelize the sugar crust on crème brulée. But unlike great chefs, who can use the flame with such precision that the sugar melts but the cream is still cool underneath, Baker Dream did not seem to care where she aimed the thing.

An oil painting on the wall caught fire; someone splashed the contents of a teapot at it, but the flames continued to smolder. Acrid smoke rose up; there was a panicked rush towards the doors – but they were locked. Baker Dream was not to let her honored customers go quite yet. After all, the night was just getting started.

_Lulu has really done it this time,_ thought Ikuto grimly, using his transparent claw to smother the flames. _Transforming a grown woman...she must have guessed that the older the victim's dream is, the more deranged she will become with a Question Egg. I'll have a word with her after this._

"Everybody stay calm," called Tadase, barely audible above the screams and sobs and the roar of the flamethrower. "Don't panic – we'll fix this!"

Amu grabbed him and pushed him aside, just in time to avoid another blast.

"Sachiko-san!" she called hoarsely, coughing through the smoke. "Stop this, please! You're destroying everything!"

Her voice was too hoarse and she was too panicked to try to reason with Baker Dream; the fire had spread down the wall and onto one of the ornamental poinsettias. Elsewhere a person, an elderly man, was having an asthma attack from the smoke.

Something glittered in the air; a small dark figure darted above Amu's and Tadase's heads. The glittering object landed directly in front of Tadase on the floor; he picked it up and knew it immediately.

There was no time to be astonished or to ponder on whys and motives, but the shining, gold-and-crystal object in his hand was unmistakably the Dumpty Key.

Without asking permission – a second lost might cost them their lives – Tadase reached for the Humpy Lock at Amu's throat and inserted the Key.


	8. Chapter 8

By Your Side

By Laura Schiller

Series: Shugo Chara

Copyright: Peach Pit

Part 8

White light flooded the café – beautiful, but not blinding as natural light would be. Wrapped in its sheltering warmth, Amu and Tadase held hands and faced each other as their first joint transformation took place. They did not know how long they floated there – a few seconds or a few hours – with the Lock and Key glowing between them. Kiseki, Ran, Miki, Suu and even Dia went into their eggs, then became absorbed into the combined Lock and Key, which bathed Amu and Tadase in sparkling beams of light in every rainbow color.

When the lights faded and their feet touched the floor again, they were dressed in white, Tadase in his Platinum Royal outfit without the crown and scepter, Amu in the lacy gown she had worn as Amulet Angel without the wings, and with a white snowflake clip in her hair; the Key had become a brooch on Tadase's collar and the Lock, as usual, a pendant on Amu's necklace.

They spoke in unison: "_**Chara-Nari – Shining Pair!**_"

Suddenly Amu woke up from her magical trance and gasped.

"Wha – what was that? Did we just - ?"

Tadase, feeling rather disoriented himself, squeezed her hand. "We did. It's okay. Now, what do we do?"

Amu looked around at Baker Dream, the flamethrower, her robot-like employees, the panicked people trying to put out the fire, and the general mess of spilled food, overturned tables, scorch marks and smoke – and took a deep breath. She felt strong and confident like never before; power was pounding in her veins, calling for release. She felt a tangible connection, like an electric current, flowing through her and Tadase's joined hands. And she knew he felt the same way.

"Let's fix this," she said. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"_**White Restoration,**_" they said, quietly and clearly

The spell-light floated downward in glittering flakes like cool, healing snow, extinguishing flames, cleaning stains, repairing damaged walls, tables etc. and leaving calm and tranquility in its wake.

When the light-flakes fell on Baker Dream, she collapsed on the floor, her knees giving way; her costume faded into became her regular work clothes. The question mark on her forehead vanished; the Question Egg slipped out of her chest, turned into a light lavender egg decorated with pink and white slices of cake, and retreated inside her again.

The civilians looked around, confused; they had a blank spot in their memories. What had just happened? Finding everything perfectly normal, however, they shook their heads and went right on eating and drinking. Nobody admitted out loud that something felt strange, because there was no reason and they were afraid of being made fun of by their companions. The human mind will always try to get things to make sense, no matter how nonsensical they are, so that night's customers at Café Sachiko dismissed the strangeness directly from their minds.

Amu and Tadase hurried to help Sachiko to her feet.

"Oh, thanks," she gasped. "I don't know what came over me...not enough sleep, I guess." The last thing she remembered was hiding in the walk-in fridge; she must have come back out, ready to get back to work, but then become overwhelmed by the combined effects of angst and overexertion.

"You should take care of yourself, Sachiko-san," said Amu. "Don't forget, we Hinamoris are counting on you."

Sachiko smiled. "I know," she joked, in a rather unsteady voice. "Where would you be without your cheesecake fix?"

"I can get cheesecake anywhere," Amu said, dismissively waving her hand. "It's Sachiko-san's joy and enthusiasm that really make this place special."

Sachiko wiped something from her eye and gave Amu a long, warm, flour-dusted hug. "Oh, Amu-chan...the sweetest thing in this whole place is you. And you're right. Maybe I should take a vacation."

()

Ikuto felt a purr from inside his breast pocket and smiled crookedly as he watched Amu and Tadase saying goodbye to the cute café owner.

"If the boss asks," he whispered to Yoru, "Tell him we lost it, okay?"

"Roger, nya!" No need to ask what 'it' was.

He was just about to slip away unnoticed – he was an expert at that – when somebody called his name.

"Ikuto?"

It was Amu. He froze in his tracks, then, slowly, turned around. He didn't know which was worse – getting caught in mischief, or getting caught doing a good deed for people who detested him as much as these two did.

"The Dumpty Key...did you..." stammered Tadase, looking much less hostile than before.

"It was Yoru," muttered Ikuto, jamming his hands in his pockets and not knowing where to look. "It was his idea."

"Why am I always the scapegoat, nya?" Yoru whined, but nobody answered him.

Then, to Ikuto's surprise, Tadase held out the Key. "Um, thanks...for lending it...you saved our lives. Um, you can have it back now."

This was the same boy who had come pounding on Amakawa-san's door at midnight, crying and swearing, demanding to know where the thieving, lying, traitorous piece of scum had gone. Ikuto blinked twice, to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him.

"It was yours to begin with," he said gruffly. "And it's useless to me anyway. You keep it."

It wasn't as if he could set off a joint transformation with Amu. They'd tried it already, after all, and the Key hadn't fit.

"So, Amu-chan," he said casually, padding out the dangerous edges of her given name with a harmless endearment. "Guess I'll have to find a new toy, ne?"

"Please do," Amu and Tadase chorused, glancing at each other and laughing.

"Good luck to you both."

He nodded at them, prepared to saunter off into the winter night as if he didn't have a care in the world, but he couldn't resist looking back just once. There they were, framed in one of the café's windows, Amu blushing as Tadase helped her into her fluffy pink coat. Shining Pair. It was a silly name, but he had to admit it suited them.

Ikuto exhaled a cloud of white steam which was _not_ a sigh, buttoned the collar on his long black pea coat, and headed out onto the icy street.

"Onii-chan, wait!"

He couldn't believe his ears. An obnoxious little voice inside him remarked, _So! Guess he can pronounce it properly at last_.

He turned around just in time before Tadase skidded to a stop on the sidewalk, his coat flapping open, his scarf stuffed into one pocket and trailing on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Tadase blurted out. "For shouting at you, for mistrusting you...everything!"

Ikuto was not sentimental. His heart was a tough, manly organ which did not melt at the slightest provocation. This, however, was a bit much even for him.

"I'm the one who should apologize," he said quietly. "Stealing the Lock and Key was – as you said – deplorable. Just be glad you don't have the Director of Easter for a stepfather."

Tadase's eyes had that shimmering look, the one he used to give as a weapon of persuasion when he wanted cookies or a later bedtime. Right now, however, the shimmer was real. Regret, pity, affection...any moment, those eyes were going to flow over and embarrass them both.

"C'mere, you," growled Ikuto, grabbing his young friend for a rough, one-armed hug and a thorough disarrangement of his tidy hair. Forgive and forget. It was nearly Christmas, after all.

Amu, who had followed at a slower pace so as not to slip on the ice, beamed with satisfaction.

"Finally they'll stop bickering!" said Ran. "It was getting really annoying, right, Amu-chan?"

"Don't be too sure," said Miki. "You know how boys are. They'll be squabbling as much as ever."

"But not over me," Amu concluded with some satisfaction. "Because I know whom I want, and it's Tadase. Not that I've forgiven you, Ran," with a meaningful glare at her most tactless Shugo Chara.

To her surprise, all three of the girls burst into laughter – Suu with her hand over her mouth, Ran snorting into her pompoms, and Miki howling louder than any of them.

"What's so funny? What, what?"

"I stopped – the chara-change – right after you escaped Ikuto!" Ran gasped. "What you said – was all you, Amu-chan!"

It took a few seconds for the information to sink in. Slowly, Amu felt her cheeks heating up. All her? So that meant....

"You confessed your love all on your own!" sniffed Suu. "We're so proud of you, desu!"

They fluttered around her like happy little moths, kissing her cheeks, ruffling her hair and perching on her shoulders. A sparkling smile lit up Amu's face as she ran forward to join the boys – Ikuto, her friend, and Tadase, the love of her life.

"So there you are – Amu," said Tadase, smiling back at her over his shoulder. "Um...is it okay if I call you that?"

Amu's laugh rang out across the brightly lit street like Christmas sleigh bells. "Of course it's okay!"

Tadase's way of saying her name couldn't be more different from Ikuto's – softly, shyly, with a small smile at the corners of his lips and a warm glow in his eyes.

They walked together arm in arm, as comfortably as if they'd been doing it all their lives, as Tadase escorted his lady home.


End file.
